Bills RB Zack Moss pegged a ‘dark horse’ for Rookie of the Year

Buffalo Bills running back Zack Moss named a dark horse for Rookie of the Year by NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein.

Top-overall picks always lead the way in terms of Rookie of the Year candidates in the NFL. That and quarterbacks if we’re being honest.

Of the last 10, half of those winners were playing under center for their teams. But don’t sleep on the impact of running backs, who’ve taken home three of the last five.

Still, even then, it’s usually a top-selected rookie back at the draft. So it makes sense where Bills running back Zack Moss fell on a particular list from NFL.com recently.

Tabbing his top-10 candidates for Rookie of the Year in 2020, draft analyst Lance Zierlein didn’t mention Moss. Where he put Buffalo’s rookie rusher was just outside it as his lone “dark horse candidate.”

Here’s why Moss landed there:

Moss is unlikely to see the workload it would take for a running back to win this award, as he’ll be competing for carries with Devin Singletary, who’s coming off a nice rookie season. That said, Moss is built for the rugged rushing attack that the Bills want to employ. Keep in mind that Singletary had just two rushing touchdowns to Josh Allen’s nine last season. It would behoove the Bills to keep their young quarterback out of harm’s way and allow Moss to do more of the dirty work in the red zone. Given Moss’ violent style and ability to move the chains, he could garner plenty of fourth-quarter carries as the Bills look to put games away.

In terms of the Bills as a team, Singletary and Moss together is hopefully going to be a good thing. But if you’re looking for a Rookie of the Year, Singletary will probably keep Moss out of the discussion. Again, as a team, that’s OK, so still get excited for Moss in 2020.

Singletary showed he has the prowess to get after it with his slick skills, but he can also run between the tackles. In addition, Moss has some wiggle himself, he’s not just a heavy hitter. So what might be the best thing about these two is that they both have their obvious talents, but to an extent, can also show themselves as all-around rushers.

And hey, you never know. Moss could prove to be the next Alvin Kamara. He was a third-round running back that won the honor in 2017.

 

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